Blade Runner Blaster - Part 1

The Real Props Series

The Blade Runner Blaster

By Richard A. Coyle

The movie, Blade Runner, has been a favorite of fans ever since it was released and its blaster has been one of the fan's favorite movie weapons.

Because the film was filmed very dark in its early theater screening and subsequent video release you just could not get a good view of this intriguing gun. Adding to the problem was the failure of the publicity department to release any pictures of the gun to the press and magazines. There was virtually no where to go to learn about this weapon.

So, without further ado, here's the straight "dope":

The gun that Deckard uses is an Austrian Steyr/Manlicher bolt action rifle with the stock and barrel removed, leaving the receiver. A pistol-grip was hand made and added to make it into a pistol.

The Steyr rifle has a very distinctive bolt handle, main receiver, bolt action, trigger guard, and safety all which remain a part of the prop weapon. They even used the target-match-style set trigger system (two triggers) to give it a more "future" look.

Adding a barrel under what once was the receiver of the rifle help make it a odd looking weapon, we do not know if it was to be a over-under double weapon (There is a passable hint of that when Decker fires at Batty the first time in the apartment for the round seems to have a explosive charge for when it misses Batty the hit down the hall seems to explode, possible it was a special round in the upper barrel, a mini grenade launcher?) Or was it a laser sight of sensor ti insure only Replicants could be shot? Or simply a detail to confuse and mystify the audience?

On the original prop you can read the words:

STEYR-DAIMLER-PUCH AG STEYR MANLICHER MOD SL

and MADE IN AUSTRIA 5223

If you can get a catalog then you will be able to verifie this and see that the rifle IS what the propmakers used to make the Blade Runner! Check out the receiver of the rifle. The cocking lever, although it has had a slight change is still about the same. The Blade Runner was made with an older model than the current model available. These will be the current Steyr MANLICHER Target rifles.

A study of Deckard's gun in its shoulder holster and action scenes from "Blade Runner" show the semi-clear amber grips and silver and black paint job in the few close-ups. But earlier in an action scene in the film, the gun can clearly be seen to be painted olive drab. I believe this was done to allow a sure way to tell the working, ie. blank firing special effects props from the non-firing hero props from each other on the set; the olive drab paint scheme is seen within an action sequence where Deckard is chasing Zora, the snake lady.

The colors of black, silver and amber can be seen in the scene where Deckard is hunting Batty, and they are silver on the frame, amber on the grips and semi-gloss black on the rest of the gun. This paint scheme is much more viewable in the latest Director's cut in the two disk laser video set.

The stunt prop seems to only be the rubber's own black color.

We believe that they built a revolver under the Steyr receiver and above the Steyr ammo clip. This appears to be how the pyrotechnics were produced on the set.

For instance, in the movie, the script called for a large handgun for the titular character to use. This hand prop had to have a new powerful "look", a special prop for the special character. At the same time the propmaker had to provide for the special effects. The prop had to function well enough to appear "real" to the movie audience.

There are several ways to make a prop look real on film; one way to portray a real-looking firearm is to build the prop out of a real functioning gun normally rigged to fire blanks. In this case, the gun we believe was a revolver hand gun concealed inside the prop gun firing blanks. Other ways to aid realism include rigging the prop to fire flash powder or paper to produce the needed pyrotechnics. Lighting effects are often used in science fiction films and TV shows, from lamp bulbs to LED (light emitting diodes) to strobe lights.
Were this a scene with firing props, there would be both of the first two types used, a "hero" prop and the special rigged special effect prop to produce the flash and bang of a firing weapon. They would, of course, use the non-functional copies for the majority of the scenes where you would not see the gun fired, in this case the brighter painted model. The special realistic firing props would be reserved for the scenes where it would be fired and secured for safety reasons after the scene was "in the can". Again the dull paint job would help ensure that during the rest of the filming the actors would be carrying safe and harmless non-firing props.

Last is the stunt prop. The standard practice would be for a mold to be taken from one of the hand props to produce rubber stunt props for any action scenes where someone could be harmed by a hard prop. These rubber stunt props, so important for the safety of the actors, are the least collectable of props. This is because the detailing is normally very poor as detailing does not usually show in fast moving action scenes anyway and also because the use of foam rubber abbreviates their shelf life and the rubber has a dismaying tendency to rot away unless preserved within a special atmosphere. In Blade Runner, sharp eyed viewers should be able to see the switch to the stunt prop and make out the crude parting line running across the ammo clip just before Deckard's hand is pulled through the wall by Batty.

We hope to learn more about this weapon soon and will continual to run articles as they come in about this special movie.